(1) Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a door pull handle assembly, and particularly to a front-mounted handle having all fastening means hidden from sight.
(2) Description Of The Prior Art
The present invention relates to front-mounted door pull handle assemblies in general, but particularly to door handles such as for use with large appliances as refrigerators or combination two-door, top-mount refrigerators as are quite common on the market today. Such refrigerator door handles are usually rather long and are mounted vertically to afford ready access to small children as well as adults. In a two-door refrigerator, each door would have to have its own door handle. Refrigerator doors are opened so frequently the door handles must be rugged in construction as well as being pleasing in appearance. Chromium-plated die castings would be acceptable except that their cost is rather exorbitant at today's prices.
Composite door handle assemblies have been devised wherein certain non-critical parts utilize low-cost material such as molded plastic that is chromium or aluminum plated to have the appearance of a chromium die casting. One example of such a handle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,598 of the present inventor which is also assigned to the present assignee. This patent shows an elongated, U-shaped, molded plastic hand-grip portion which is capable of being mounted on the door with two front-mounted screw fasteners. A steel reinforcing insert is added to the hand-grip portion but first it is covered by a sheet of decorative trim of wood grain vinyl. A third screw is threaded up into the bottom of the hand-grip portion to hold the steel insert in place, but this third screw is out of view.
Another example of a front-mounted refrigerator door handle assembly is shown in the published Patent Application B 589,687, dated Mar. 23, 1976, of the present inventor Edward H. Roberts and Gordon V. Carter, which is also assigned to the present assignee. This is a particularly beautiful door handle that is shaped very much like an archer's bow. It comprises a plurality of parts, where the main handgrip portion is a chromium or aluminum-plated molded plastic part, and a metal reinforcing member is fitted into the plastic part. A cover member of thin sheet metal which is finished with a sheet of wood grain material to serve as a decorative finish.
An early patent on a front-mounted drawer pull handle is U.S. Pat. No. 2,608,712 of R. C. Seyforth. This patent discloses a metal base plate that is screwed to the supporting surface, and there is a cover member that is snapped over the base to conceal the mounting screw.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a front-mounted door pull handle assembly with an elongated hand-grip portion that is covered with a flexible, decorative cover which snaps in place and is reinforced so that it has the feel of a solid member.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a handle assembly of the class described where the hand-grip portion is provided with separable mounting brackets at each end and the cover member hides the fastening means for the mounting brackets from sight.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a handle assembly of the class described where the hand-grip portion is an extruded member of uniform transverse cross-section which may easily be made of any length.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a handle assembly of the class described with a snap-on cover member that has holding ribs and stabilizing ribs so that the cover has the feel of a solid member.